February 15, 2011 – Independent music fans hungering for diversity can take heart. Renowned for celebrating artists who follow their own muse, Music Resource Group (MRG) announced the Nominees of The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential awards program for independent bands and fans.

Representing the broad spectrum of today’s global independent music scene, the more than 300 Nominees in the nearly 70 Song, Album, Music Video and Design categories were culled from submissions from North America, South America, Asia, Australia and Europe.

The 10th IMA Nominees are an eclectic mix of rising stars including Strawfoot (Alt. Country Song), Hemoptysis (Metal/Hardcore Song), and Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three (Americana Album); and established talent including telecaster virtuoso, Jim Campilongo (Instrumental Album), experimental multi-genre artist, Flying Lotus (Music Video and Dance/Electronica Song), and indie rockers, Ra Ra Riot (Pop/Rock Album). Perhaps better known as major label acts, this year’s Nominees also include former Hole bassist, Melissa Auf der Maur (Indie/Alt./Hard Rock Album), and singer/songwriter legend Jackson Browne with David Lindley (Live Performance Album).

Celebrating the democracy of creativity and meritocracy of talent, The Independent Music Awards honor exceptional independent artists, traditionally ignored by mass media and big box retailers.

For the past 10 years, artists and labels from around the world have found new fans and prominence through The Independent Music Awards. Produced by Music Resource Group, publisher of the popular industry networking database The Musician’s AtlasOnline, and producers of the original webTV series, Grooveable Feast, The IMAs uses its unrivaled access to performance, promotion & distribution opportunities to connect Winners and Nominees to new audiences and revenue opportunities.

Winners of The 10th IMAs will receive active promotions, distribution and performance opportunities that will place them in front of 50 million music fans. Artists, managers and labels credit The IMAs with increasing recognition among music fans and industry gatekeepers.

31 Comments

congrats to all the nominees!! as a member of a group who was not nominated it would have been helpful to have gotten some feedback on our submission.artists spend a lot of time and money on these things an any critique always helps.

saint jerrod
RUDIES

IMA Robert

I agree with you that honest feedback would be very helpful to the artists. We simply don’t have enough time to critique each of the thousands of entries that come in. We’ve considered it every year that I’ve been here, but it’s just not manageable.

Congrats to TwinzBeatz their EP is the best kept secrete on the planet!! Way to go 1million views and counting on YouTube, battling DJ Tiesto’s people trying to claim rights on your songs and winning, and now this!! Once again “way to go!!”

IMA Robert

We’re sorry Bikini Robot Army wasn’t nominated. We’re sure you’re just as disappointed as many other great acts who didn’t get a nomination. I assure you the judging panel listens to every single submission carefully, then spends countless hours debating, arguing, and fighting for their favorites. It’s important to understand that music is an art and art is subjective. There’s no need to get defensive and call our program a scam, especially when we work very hard to ensure everything is unconditionally fair. We lay out our entire program on our website and readily answer any questions so there’s no mystery about what we do. If artists don’t think the program is legitimate, they don’t have to enter. Once things calm down over here, we’ll be seeking more artists for our Artist Spotlight – which can give non-nominated artists a chance to be recognized. This may be an opportunity we can still work on together. If not, I hope you understand and wish you the best of luck with your music.

Debbie

Dave

Congratulations to the artist that were nominated! My band was not nor was our album cover design. Of course like everyone else, we think we deserved a nomination, but there is always next year.
Quite honestly I am just happy there are organizations like IMA that at least give independent artist a chance at some recognition and just plain old hope in a field that is filled with thousands of talented artist.
However, there must be some sort of criteria that the judges follow in making their decisions in both music and art design. This could be helpful toward the growth of all artist who enter.
Individual critiques would be impossible with so many entries, but some general considerations we can consider regarding our submissions would be greatly appreciated.

IMA Robert

Steve

I too have my doubts to legitimacy of this and all the other pay to play sites out there such as Sonicbids, reverb nation and so on. if you think of the thousands of submissions and the money that was made it is mind numbing. to say that there is no favoritetism or shady goings on c’mom people it’s the music business. I have listened to some of the nominations and looked at the art submitted and well lets just say MMMMMMMMM very interesting. I know for a fact that many companies go to sonic bids because it’s an easy money maker. I dont know if IMA is the same way but as someone once told me if you are asked to pay in order for somone to support your music chances are it’s a scam. too bad the starving musicians will still be taken advatage of.

IMA Robert

We can’t offer a year-long promotion and do everything we do for the nominees & winners without A) paying a staff to organize everything and B) ultimately pay for the promotional campaigns & opportunities for them.

From our FAQ of “Why do I have to pay to enter?” – “The processing fee helps to offset the cost of organizing, opening, sorting, listening, debating, rating, tracking down & communicating with judges in far-flung places around the globe, tallying & posting results. The nominal fee covers all of the ongoing marketing support for nominees and winners – 12 week-radio promotion campaign to 650 US & Canadian college, public and commercial radio, inclusion on 5,000 CDs & on 20,000 digital download cards distributed to industry & fans, featured placement on eMusic & 20,000 Musicati/AMI jukeboxes, press releases, showcases, etc. Check out all the Program Benefits (http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/about-us/#programbenefits) covered by submission fees.”

We proudly lay our cards out for everyone to see, which is why many well-known judges have come to us to participate in the program for the past 10 years. We think we’ve earned a good reputation and I’m sorry you don’t feel this way. We understand how heart-breaking it is not to get nominated. I encourage you to keep writing and performing and doing what you love, regardless of anyone’s opinion.

Lexus

Congrats to all the nominees but i don’t understand your criteria for how you select nominees??? Most of the R&B nominees don’t sound like they are singing R&B, most sound like Jazz and Funk?? You left out some really good artists that I know submitted songs. 1st and last time I’m sure they will submit. If your going to have a judging panel for a category like Rhythm and Blues, then you should have judges that sing R&B, not rock, jazz etc.

IMA Robert

The criteria for the song & album categories is simply a well-rounded song or album. The whole package is considered: the musicianship, vocals, songwriting, lyrics, production, arrangement, structure, etc. Genres can be classic interpretations, modern interpretations, have some crossover elements or even push the envelop of that genre. What some might consider R&B, others might not. If an act doesn’t think they judges are qualified to judge their music, then I would suggest they don’t submit.

Damian Willitts

Congratulations to everyone who has been nominated.
Just a little note to the site admins, under the folk singer/songwiter when clicking on Jane Taylor it directs you to janetaylor.com which is a lovely looking Jewellery site. I think it should direct to janetaylor.co.uk 🙂

Damian Willitts

First of all I would like to thank the IMA’s for their support of all Independent Music. It’s already hard for artists out there trying to make their way in this industry as it is. We as independent musicians and artists, some times don’t have the resources to do what we really WANT to do but we muddle through it anyway. We make mistakes, we fall, we get rejections and so fourth and then through all that, we still manage to pull through and create something that we feel is worth a little time for the world to listen to. For some of us, no one hears it, for others maybe enough to get them excited about keeping the fires going but on a scale like this there is really nothing else.

I’ve been in this and at this for a long time and I’ve seen, been a part and been taken advantage by most of the so called music scams out there, as well as failed opportunities due to greed on major label’s part. To me, this is the time of the independents. We can call the shots whether to move or not move. And I believe we are moving. I’m not just saying this because of the nomination, but for me, I was glad to know that someone else out there feels like I do! I also submitted in the past and was not nominated, but I was not deterred from my goal, it actually made me sit and re-evaluate who I was and what I wanted to contribute.

Thanks IMA for giving us a platform for this, this is our “GRAMMY” and as such we need to make sure, that even as independents, we strive for the gold!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL INDEPENDENT ARTISTS THAT HAVE CHOSEN THIS PATH!!!

Hey Folks,
Tracorum from San Francisco shedding some light on the IMA process. We are renegades in an industry filled with favors and backdoor cuts. We submitted to best album and song for social change. We have been nominated in the later category! I can assure you we made it through the thousands of applicants honestly and with no inside track. Keep working on your craft and being honest and life will unfold accordingly!

Thank you, thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for all of your kindnesses, assistance, your outstanding creative website development and implementation for my “Chookasian Armenian Concert Ensemble’s” “Passage to Armenia,” live concert traditional Armenian CD album.

We are so honored and proud to participate and become part of your celebrated and world-prominent MRG group and being selected for the 2010 IMA’s; in the “World Traditional” – “Song” category. Also, for nominating our Armenian CD album’s world music song, “Laz Barr” (An ancient Black Sea folkdance of the Laz, Armenian and Greek people), at this time.

Your wonderful, stupendously, marvelous work and efforts on our behalf is very much appreciated. God bless all of you for providing these numerous IMA award opportunities for our Chookasian Armenian Ensemble and other performing groups as well for the past 10 years! I applaud all of you for supporting and promoting all forms of music from around the world, that would normally not be heard, played or found! You have created a fantastic service for all musicians.

Toni

As someone who teaches music to grade school children and has followed the IMAs for the past few years, I am once again very disappointed with your nominees in the children’s music category. Is this really the best from which you had to choose? This is part of the reason no one takes music for kids seriously. It’s no wonder kids, unfortunately, go for the Lady Gagas and Britney Spears of the world, along with the rest of the commercially produced stuff that is really more about marketing than it is about music. Can’t any of these independent artists give them something interesting that will excite them about music? Maybe something they will want to put into their ipods. This stuff may be OK for up to ages 5 or 6, but what about the kids between those ages and the teen years? Kids are pretty sophisticated these days. We need to turn things up a few notches.

IMA Robert

Thank you for you feedback about our Children’s Music category. I also teach music to children privately and have taught full classes as well. What I’ve found is that music teachers tend to disagree with both the content of music to teach and the actual teaching methods. Our category isn’t particularly targeted at the mid to late teens, as they have already moved on to more sophisticated music (which is represented in our main genre categories). The judging panel here is simply looking for artists who can get children engaged via learning, simple melodies, strong messages, movements, etc., all while relating to that age group.

I encourage you to visit the our Children’s Music nominees’ websites & social media sites and view the feedback from their audience. If you still feel the way you do, perhaps you could invite some of your favorite artists to enter next year’s awards.

First and formost I want to congratulate every nominee. I secondly wish ALL of YOU the absolute best in this business of music, creating and sharing your gift with the WORLD! Im greatly HUMBLED and APPRECIATIVE of the recognition along with being nominated. THANK ALL INVOLVED!

peace
Konshens TheMC (on behalf of Konshens & his State of Mind)

Konshens & his State of Mind: The Hip Hop version of Frankie Beverly and Maze

The Perfect fusion of Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk, Soul, R&B and go-go intertwined with lyrical rhyme, this is Konshens and his State of Mind

Brianna

I wasn’t nominated so I decided to really listen to the type of music that was selected to see if there was a common sound that was favored. I did notice that almost everything I heard was overproduced. I guess that’s the sound these days. The production not only masks both the writing and performance but it’s paid for. The more money you have, the better production values you can afford. If this were truly an Independent music award, the production values wouldn’t hold so much weight and people who are signed to indie labels maybe wouldn’t be considered.
I submitted to the covers song category and just listened to the nominees. Most are signed to indie labels and of course those who are, have an unfair advantage in the popular vote since they have people marketing and promoting this for them. How is this fair? I thought it was all about doing it yourself?

Anyway, I still think this is a very cool competition. I’m just a little confused about how it’s fair.

IMA Robert

The judges must consider production in some regard because many times, a poor production can ruin a song for the listener. It’s like framing the Mona Lisa in a Popsicle stick frame…people would be turned off and distracted by a masterpiece that deserves to be framed the proper way. This is not JUST about songwriting. An artist must supply a well-rounded work. In some cases, a sparsely produced record benefits the artist if the song or mood calls for it. A nicely produced record doesn’t require a ton of money. Many of the nominees will be happy to say they produced their own record.

With regard to labels, we have to draw the line somewhere, and we specify on our site that only major label acts (acts under the umbrella of one of the Big Four labels and their sublabels) are excluded. It is true that some indie labels are much bigger than others and have more resources/money at hand, but it would be too limiting to exclude all indie labels and impossible to create any other limitation otherwise. I can’t tell you how many times a very well-known indie act has entered and NOT made it through (I won’t name any names for etiquette’s sake). You can produce the heck out of horrible song, but it’ll still get nowhere.

So what it comes down to is the overall package. We’re not shopping demos around. It’s not just about the songwriting, but how well you execute it on the final recording.